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  The Sound of Silence: An Introduction to the Use of Acoustics in Tracking Climate Change

  Kaleigh J Barkaszi

  Climate change is occurring, the planet is warming, and anthropogenic activities are to blame for the environmental degradation. Tracking climate change is a long process, taking years before changes are noticeable and it becomes too late to mitigate or preserve the habitat. An emerging field of soundscape ecology presents the opportunity and ability to observe climate change effects before irreparable damage is done. Using acoustics to monitor ecosystems also provides an understanding of species behavior, weather patterns, and the effects of greenhouse gas emissions, to name a few. Biological organisms rely on sound to send and receive vital information regarding the area around them. As anthropogenic activities continue and increase warming events, the acoustic environment changes which many species may be unable to adapt to. Little research has been done using acoustics to track and measure effects of climate change, and even less have been conducted in the Arctic. The Arctic is still a relatively pristine environment, yet with global climatic warming, changes are predicted to occur rapidly and significantly. This paper introduces the complex interactions and responses triggered by climate change events. Using acoustics can provide a perspective on climate change effects before they are drastically observed. Recordings made in the north of Iceland were used to examine the effectiveness of acoustic monitoring. Terrestrial and underwater recordings were made to evaluate ambient noise levels and predict how climate change will affect the ambient noise of an environment. The results of the project demonstrate how acoustics can be used as a tool to track climate change effects over long periods of time.

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  The Stone-Weierstrass Approximation Theorem and Applications

  Melissa E Fox, Emma Laura Whitney

  Abstract: We outline the proof of the celebrated Stone-Weierstrass Theorem and give two applications. It is known that the polynomials are dense on C[a,b], the space of continuous functions defined on a closed bounded interval [a,b]; that is, given a continuous function and a tolerance for that function, a polynomial can be found within the tolerance of the function. We show that in the space C(M), where M is compact, if we consider the subalgebra A of C(M) that contains the constant functions and separates points of C(M), then A is dense in C(M). Then it follows that the piecewise linear functions and the trigonometric polynomials are dense in the space of continuous functions on compact domains.

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  Transcriptional regulation of dronc by the Hippo pathway.

  Karishma S Gangwani, Kirti Snigdha

  The growth regulatory Hippo pathway maintains tissue homeostasis by tightly regulating cell proliferation and cell death. This key pathway is conserved between humans and fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster), and misexpression of this pathway is linked to cancer. The core components of the pathway include two kinases Hippo (Hpo) and its target Warts (Wts) and the transcriptional co-activator Yorkie (Yki). When the pathway is active, Hippo (Hpo) along with Wts bring about phosphorylation of Yki which leads to cell death. Yki acts in an activator complex by associating with Scalloped (Sd) to regulate target genes. Inactivation of hpo leads to overgrowth due to activation of cell cycle and cell proliferation genes such as Cyclin E, A, B, D, and diap1; and downregulation of caspases of the apoptotic pathway like dronc and drice which ensures that cells/tissues overproliferate on pathway downregulation. These Yki mediated regulatory interactions are thought to promote tumor growth. Previous work from our lab has shown that the Hippo pathway transcriptionally downregulates dronc- this is an important but underexplored aspect of Hippo signaling as till date dronc is the only negatively regulated transcriptional target of the Hippo pathway. To induce cell death, Dronc activates caspase-3 (Drice) that leads to formation of the apoptosome complex. When Yki levels are low inside the nucleus there is an increase of Dronc expression and vice versa, however, it is unknown if Yki directly regulates dronc expression during Hippo signaling. We hypothesize that Yki functions both as an activator and a repressor simultaneously. To test this, we will express transgenic constructs expressing different sequences of the Dronc promoter to find which sequences are required for Yki mediated dronc repression. We are also investigating the transcription factors/repressors that may associate with Yki to mediate its repressive activity. Here we present our findings from these studies.

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  Trends in Education/Health Care Services Employment and S&P 500 Sector Price Movements: An Empirical Analysis 2009-2016.

  Michael A Capicotto, Bennett A Zynn

  Education and Health Care Services is one of the fastest growing employment sectors in the US. In this study we examine the relationship between it and nine S&P 500 sector ETF's plus SPY, a proxy for the S&P 500 Index. We test the hypothesis that Education and Healthcare employment growth co-varies directly with SPY and the nine sector ETF's. The period of analysis is 2009-2016 with monthly data used to construct the regression equations.

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  Tuckman v. the LGBTQ+ Community: The Impact of Bias-Related Incidents on Group Formation and Leadership Development of LGBTQ+ Identifying, Undergraduate Students at the University of Dayton

  Adam D Booher

  A main component of the successful development of undergraduate students is a healthy combination of academic success and interpersonal development. Interpersonal development relies heavily on undergraduate students' abilities to be involved socially and effectively form groups with their peers. The Tuckman (1965) model of group formation only works when members of the group are operating in a relatively conflict-free environment (Cassidy, 2007). What happens when bias-related conflicts and assumptions become present in the group formation process? This study focuses on bias-related concerns among LGBTQ+ undergraduate students at the University of Dayton and the influence that these concerns have on the students' ability to effectively form groups with their non-marginalized peers. This study is significant because it indicates that student affairs professionals ought to cater group formation to the needs of all the students involved in the process, not just those who identify as the majority in terms of their sexual identity.

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  Two clone system to study cell-cell communication between wild-type and amyloi-beta 42 plaque forming cells in Alzheimer's disease.

  Jordan C Dubbs, Sean A Kelly, Nilan Mani, Ankita Sarkar

  Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative disease caused by the miscleavage of the Amyloid precursor protein (APP). When the APP protein is properly cleaved it forms Aβ40 protein, and when it is improperly cleaved it forms the Aβ42 protein that is 2 extra amino acids long. This causes the formation of plaques within the neuron cells and leads to cell death and ultimately large scale changes in the brain tissue. We have designed a genetic system where we have combined strength of FLP/FRT system with the Gal4/UAS –system to target Aβ42 cells in the developing retinal neurons of the developing eye. Misexpression of Aβ42 results in strong neurodegenerative phenotype. Using our newly developed system we are making two types of clones by FLP FRT mediated recombination where one clone of cells is marked by strong presence of GFP reporter and express high levels of Aβ42 whereas the other clone of cells which are marked by the absence GFP are wild-type retinal neurons. The purpose of the Two Clone System is to track the progression of Alzheimer and Wild Type cells within the eye imaginal disc of D. melanogaster. The system was developed to see if the rate of progression of Wild Type cells and Alzheimer's cells would be equal. Furthermore, using markers for various signaling pathways we will test if there is a signal emanating from Aβ42 expressing cells that trigger neurodegeneration. The results from these studies will be presented.

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  Two-Step Synthetic Route to BODIPY Dyes for Solar Cell Applications

  John Connor Quinn

  Dye Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs) are beginning to show great promise as an alternative energy source, but the cost and lack of efficiency of most current dyes remains a problem. A series of BODIPY dyes have been synthesized by a two-step synthetic route to provide a solution. A dipyrrin was formed through the reaction of either napthyl[1,2-c]pyrrole or fluorantho[2,3-c]pyrrole with one of several aromatic aldehydes in a solid state reaction. The resulting dipyrrins were reacted with boron trifluoride to give a series of highly conjugated BODIPY dyes. Upon analyzing the photophysical properties of the dyes with UV-VIS and fluorescence spectroscopy, it was found that using the more highly conjugated fluoranthro[2,3-c]pyrrole to form the dipyrrin core results in a favorable red shift of about 50 nm, as compared to more modest shifts as a result of changing the aldehyde. Cyclic voltametry also demonstrated a stabilization of the LUMO energy of the dyes formed from the more highly conjugated pyrrole. All of the dyes display molar absorptivities greater than 100 000 M−1 cm−1 with photoluminescence quantum efficiencies of 0.5–1.0, and the HOMO and LUMO energies of the dyes further illustrate the suitability of these dyes for use in DSSCs.

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  Two-Step Synthetic Route toward Asymmetric and Symmetric Boron Dipyrromethenes: Synthesis, Optical Properties, and Electrochemistry

  Michael A Coladipietro

  A two-step synthetic route toward BODIPY dyes is accomplished by reaction of the readily available naphtho[1,2-c]pyrrole with various aldehydes followed by coordination of BF2. Synthesis of the dipyrromethene is achieved by simply heating the pyrrole and aldehyde at moderate temperatures for less than 30 min. In addition to the absence of solvent this reaction does not require an acid catalyst or an oxidizing agent to achieve the dipyrromethene. Investigation of various aldehydes by this method suggests that the choice of aldehyde plays a role in the formation of either symmetric or asymmetric BODIPYs. The dyes have exceptionally high molar absorptivities (> 100000 m–1 cm–1) in the far visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum with intense emission and high quantum efficiency.

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  UD-Bodipy Fluorophores: A Computational Study

  Anthony M Rose

  Boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPY) compounds are an exciting class of fluorescent molecules. Several variations on this structure exist in the literature and have been studied extensively by experimental as well as computational methods. Unfortunately, these compounds can be expensive to make and many do not contain optimal properties such as absorbance in the near-IR region of 700-1000 nm. Recent efforts in the Swavey laboratory at the University of Dayton (UD) have revealed a new class of these molecules (UD-BODIPY) with quantum efficiencies ~1, making them rare and interesting chromaphores, but still lack the desired absorbance profile. We hypothesize the properties of UD-BODIPY chemicals are related to their structure, but the relationship between structure and activity is not yet fully understood. Several UD-BODIPY’s have been prepared in the laboratory and they all posses an double benzo[e]isoindole core. UD-BODIPYs can be synthesized easily by condensation of different aldehydes to form the more complex fused ring systems. As with any synthesis, it might be faster and more efficient to screen large numbers of UD-BODIPYs in silico before their synthesis is attempted. UD-BODIPY’s will be evaluated through for suitability as fluorescent dyes in biological systems or for use in organic solar cells. We are developing a robust computational method for screening and selecting interesting UD-BODIPY compounds. The goal is to understand the influence of geometry and/or structure changes on the fluorescence performance of these chemicals. We will then use our knowledge to design new UD-BODIPYs.

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  Understanding the Effects of Propionic Acid on Listeria monocytogenes Growth, Survival, and Virulence.

  Elizabeth A Abrams, Kaitlin E Beemiller, Eric Edward Newton, Erica Rinehart, Nathan C Wallace

  Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterial pathogen that causes foodborne gastrointestinal illnesses. In the absence of a strong immune system, Listeria can cause fatal infection by breaking the intestinal wall and spreading to other organs. Therefore, prevention of fatal infections relies on blocking Listeria from adhering to the intestinal wall. My work focused on understanding how propionate, a natural intestinal acid in healthy individuals, affects Listeria’s ability to grow and cause disease. We first conducted growth curves in BHI and found that propionate supplementations with concentrations up to 25mM resulted in a small decrease in in vitro growth under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. In contrast, using hemolytic assays, we found that propionate supplementation resulted in a significant increase in listeriolysin O (LLO) supernatant activity after anaerobic growth, but a significant decrease in LLO supernatant activity after aerobic growth. To further determine the effect of propionate on Listeria pathogenesis, we infected RAW264.7 macrophages with Listeria grown aerobically or anaerobically, with or without propionate supplementations. Our results showed that compared to aerobically grown Listeria, anaerobically grown Listeria exhibited significantly higher intracellular CFUs during early infection time points, but lower intracellular CFUs during later time points. Supplementation of propionate during Listeria in vitro growth did not impact intracellular growth. Finally, we tested the hemolytic ability and intracellular growth of environmental Listeria isolates and saw results mimicking those of our lab strain. Together, our results suggest that Listeria is capable of growth with high levels of propionate but likely adapts to propionate differently depending on the presence or absence of oxygen. Further research is being conducted to test for protective effects of propionate on mammalian cells by treating the cells with propionate prior to infection. We hope to fully understand the extent of influence propionate has on host-pathogen interactions.

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  Understanding the Repopulation of Glioblastoma in Drosophila Melanogaster Model System

  Leah D Bullock, Kirti Snigdha

  Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) is the most common form of malignant brain tumors, accounting for about 52% of all primary brain tumors. Patients diagnosed with GBM typically die within a few months after diagnosis. Upon initial diagnosis of GBM, standard treatment consists of surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. GBM has an unfavorable diagnosis due to the high rates of tumor recurrence. The cause of the repopulation of the tumor after treatment is currently unknown. Therefore there is a need to create a simple model system to study the repopulation of GBM. We have created a simple glioma model in Drosophila melanogaster to study the effects of X-ray radiation on tumor size and repopulation of the tumor. We generated the glioma model by suppressing Pten while overexpressing oncogene RasV12 in glial cells of the fly brain to induce tumor. Flies with genotype UASPten RNAi;UASRasV12; Repo Gal4 UASGFP developed aggressive brain tumors and failed to survive to the adult stage. To model repopulation, we standardized the X-ray dosage. We observed that after exposing the 1st instar larvae to 3.5 gy X-ray, there was a significant reduction in tumor size in the larvae compared to the unexposed samples. This revealed effects of X-ray radiation on tumor; however there was still excess of glial population after X-ray treatment as seen in human gliomas too. Hence we have effectively established a glioma repopulation model. We are now looking into the mechanistic details of why X-ray radiation causes reduction in tumor and why repopulation of tumor cells occurs after treatment. Here we report our recent findings. Since most of the signaling pathways are conserved from flies to mammals, these findings can be utilized in other model systems and in humans and opens new avenues for glioma treatment.

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  Understanding the role of receptor tyrosine kinase in Glioblastoma using Drosophila Melanogaster model system

  Minh T Ho, Kirti Snigdha

  Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) is one the most aggressive form and lethal form of brain tumors. Every year thousands of new cases are reported with a very poor prognosis. High lethality of GBM can be attributed to its recurrence after treatment, cause of which is currently unknown. Recent studies have identified few key signaling pathway components which are modified in the GBM. . These transmembrane proteins are apical of several interconnected signaling cascades. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/mTOR) signaling is elevated in ~88% of all glioblastoma due to suppression of PTEN. It is predicted that PI3K signaling contributes to therapy resistance in GBM cell lines due to its role in motility and proliferation. Along with the activated RAS from mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway , PI3K-mTOR signaling pathways control cell survival, differentiation, proliferation, metabolism, and motility in response to extracellular cues. Overexpression of activated RAS has been reported in multiple cases of GBM. Growth factor receptors that regulate RAS like Receptor tyrosine kinases are also often overexpressed by mutations in many different cancers, including glioblastoma. We hypothesize that receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK) affect the GBM growth by interacting with PI3K/mTOR and RAS/MAPK pathway and could be a possible target for GBM therapy. Since most of the signaling pathways are conserved from flies to mammals we have created a simple glioma model in Drosophila melanogaster to study this interaction. We generated the glioblastoma model by suppressing Pten while overexpressing oncogene RasV12 in glial cells of the fly brain to induce tumor. Flies with genotype UASPtenRNAi UASRasV12; Repo Gal4 UASGFP developed aggressive brain tumors and failed to survive to the adult stage. We will downregulate receptor tyrosine kinases like ALK and SEV in this glioblastoma model and evaluate its effect on growth and repopulation of glioblastoma. Here we report our recent findings.

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  Understanding the role of Wingless (Wg) signaling pathway in Amyloid-beta 42 (Aβ42) mediated neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s Disease

  Ankita Sarkar

  Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a common form of dementia and an age related progressive neurodegenerative disorder, manifests as memory loss and reduced cognitive ability. One of the hallmarks of AD is formation of the Amyloid-beta 42 (hereafter Aβ42) plaques, which triggers oxidative stress due to aberrant signaling and finally results in the death of neurons. However, the exact mechanism causing cell death is still not well understood. We misexpressed high levels of human Aβ42 protein in the developing fly retina, which mimics AD like neuropathology. In a forward genetic screen, we identified members of highly conserved Wingless (Wg) signaling pathway as modifiers of the Aβ42 mediated neurodegeneration. Misexpression of negative regulator of Wg like Shaggy kinase (sgg) or a dominant negative form of Drosophila T-cell factor (dTCFDN5) or blocking Wg transport specifically by downregulating Porcupine (using porcupineRNAi) rescued Aβ42 mediated neurodegeneration by reducing the number of dying cells and restoring the axonal targeting from the retina to the brain. In order to determine the role of Wg in early vs late onset of AD, we have modulated our transgenic expression system to activate at different time points and will assess whether Wg is activated in all stages. It is also known that Wg induces cell death in the early eye developmental stage of Drosophila. We therefore want to understand by what mechanism and in which cells the Wg signaling is triggering cell death, whether it’s the Aβ42 misexpressing cells or the neighboring wild type cells. In order to approach this question we have developed a two clone system in our lab to understand the crosstalk between the two cell populations. We have shown that the wild type neighboring cells are undergoing cell death compared to the Aβ42 misexpressed cells. Data from the experiments will be presented.

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  Understanding tumor metastasis in Drosophila Melanogaster model system

  Oscar A Barnes, Kirti Snigdha

  Cancer can be described as the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in an organism’s body, which occurs when the normal control systems in the body are malfunctioning. This produces a mass of the continually growing cells called a tumor. However, during tumor progression, the cancer cells through blood vessels migrate from the primary site of origin to secondary site where they affect another organ. This spreading of the cancer cells is called metastasis and makes treatment of cancer so difficult. Hence it is highly necessary to understand how the tumor metastasis happens and what is the role of normal cell in this process. Drosophila melanogaster commonly known as fruit fly has served as a useful model organism because of its well understood genome, availability of genetic tools and many evolutionarily conserved signaling pathways. Our understanding of the mechanisms regulating cell growth, differentiation and development has been considerably advanced by studies in Drosophila. Ras genes are associated with cell proliferation and overexpression of Ras protein leads to benign tumor in developing flies. Studies showed that suppressing cell polarity genes like Scrib induced neoplastic tumors. To model metastatic tumor, we co-activated the oncogene RasV12 and loss of polarity gene ScribRNAi in the wing imaginal disc. We used the UAS-GAL4 system to create the mutation in only few cells that will become invasive while remaining cells are normal in their genetic makeup. We hypothesize that these non-mutated normal cells and mutated cells interact among each other through signaling pathways to promote the tumor metastasis. To evaluate this we study the changes the key signaling pathways and metastatic markers like JNK, MMP1, Eiger through immunohistochemistry. We present our recent findings on this.

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  Understanding tumor metastasis in Drosophila Melanogaster model system

  Oscar A Barnes

  Cancer can be described as the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in an organism’s body, which occurs when the normal control systems in the body are malfunctioning. This produces a mass of the continually growing cells called a tumor. However, during tumor progression, the cancer cells through blood vessels migrate from the primary site of origin to secondary site where they affect another organ. This spreading of the cancer cells is called metastasis and makes treatment of cancer so difficult. Hence it is highly necessary to understand how the tumor metastasis happens and what is the role of normal cell in this process. Drosophila melanogaster commonly known as fruit fly has served as a useful model organism because of its well understood genome, availability of genetic tools and many evolutionarily conserved signaling pathways. Our understanding of the mechanisms regulating cell growth, differentiation and development has been considerably advanced by studies in Drosophila. Ras genes are associated with cell proliferation and overexpression of Ras protein leads to benign tumor in developing flies. Studies showed that suppressing cell polarity genes like Scrib induced neoplastic tumors. To model metastatic tumor, we co-activated the oncogene RasV12 and loss of polarity gene ScribRNAi in the wing imaginal disc. We used the UAS-GAL4 system to create the mutation in only few cells that will become invasive while remaining cells are normal in their genetic makeup. We hypothesize that these non-mutated normal cells and mutated cells interact among each other through signaling pathways to promote the tumor metastasis. To evaluate this we study the changes the key signaling pathways and metastatic markers like JNK, MMP1, Eiger through immunohistochemistry. We present our recent findings on this.

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  University of Dayton Campus Safety: Eliminating student bias surrounding UDPD in hopes to reduce the health risk due to a reluctance to call Public Safety

  Nicholas A Cheesman, Melanie H Craft, Julia A Ripepi

  Campus safety is a quality that universities everywhere strive to improve continually. The University of Dayton is known for its excellence in campus safety, providing its own Police Department working in collaboration with a student-run EMS organization. Despite these resources, there has been a potential downfall in campus safety due to a reluctance to call for help in fear of disciplinary action. This stems from a student bias surrounding UDPD’s “mindset” of prioritizing disciplinary action over health and safety. There is a major health risk in the reluctance to call for medical attention, prompting efforts to eliminate student bias against UDPD. We went about this by interviewing the Chief of Police and providing a questionnaire for his officers to provide their thoughts on campus safety. We consulted both UDPD officers and UD EMS members about their roles in the safety of students across campus, specifically focusing on alcohol related emergencies. Additionally, we consulted current UD students about their perspectives on UDPD and UD EMS. In this presentation, we recommend there to be improved communication between the Department of Public Safety and the student body along with clarification of a more concrete amnesty policy in place. The University of Dayton provides its student body with great resources during medical emergencies. UDPD and UD EMS share the same goal of the health and safety of each student.

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  Untangling Appalachia

  Timothy K Fasano, Andrew M Kramer, William W Van Winkle

  As a result of a semester in the Untangling Appalachia English class, this poster presentation makes an effort to illustrate, through poetry, music, art, works of fiction, and critical essays the truths regarding Appalachia, and strives to debunk misconceptions and stereotypes widely held by those on the outside looking in. We have sought to define both concrete and abstract concepts. For instance, what constitutes the Appalachian region? What are the heritages of the people of the Appalachian region? And, perhaps most complexly, why has the region developed as it has? These questions, and more, have led our discussion and have formed the bulk of our poster presentation. We conducted research by examining short stories, poetry, and both primary and secondary sources about the region and its peoples, including excerpts from travel diaries and critical views of the history of Appalachia.

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  Using novel Fly-FUCCI system to evaluate tumor growth and progression

  Kirti Snigdha, Mitchell L Stanley

  The FUCCI system (fluorescent ubiquitination-based cell cycle indicator) has been proven to be a promising approach for in vivo studies of cell proliferation. Using Drosophila-specific FUCCI system (Fly-FUCCI) allows one to distinguish between G1, G2, and S phases. Fly-FUCCI relies on fluorochrome-tagged degrons, which are degraded during mitosis or the onset of S phase, respectively. Fly-FUCCI allows one to track cell-cycle patterns in cultured Drosophila cells, eye and wing imaginal discs, salivary glands, the adult midgut, and other tissues. The FUCCI system can be utilized with Drosophilacancerous tissues to identify when tumor growth is most prominent or suppressed during cell cycles. This information can be used to understand the starting stages of cancer within cells, what stages of cell proliferation are necessary for tumor growth, and how the nutrient growth of normal cells compares to the grow cancerous cells. The Fly-FUCCI system is an invaluable tool for visualizing cell-cycle activity duringdevelopment, tissue homeostasis, and abnormal cell development. In the lab, Drosophila melanogaster is used to understand the intricacies of cancer biology using genetically induced tumors in the different imaginal discs and brain. Using Fly-FUCCI system, allows one to evaluate the cell cycle differences during the tumor growth and progression. Here are the present finding on utilization of this technique to evaluate tumor cell cycle regulation

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  U.S. Monetary Policy, Monetary Aggregates and S&P 500 Stock Prices: An Empirical Analysis, 2009-2016

  Alison M Berry

  After the 2008 recession, the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank undertook massive quantitative easing in order to shore up the financial markets and facilitate economic growth. In this study I examine the relationship between money supply growth and the expansion of financial markets with a particular focus on S&P 500 stock returns. I test the hypothesis that stock prices covary directly with money supply growth i.e. R=A+B(MS) where R is the stock return, MS is the money supply, and A and B are the equation perimeters. I expect B to be greater than zero. Three measures of the money supply are used in the regression analysis: (1) the adjusted monetary base, (2) M1 money supply, and (3) M2 money supply. The time period 2009-2016 is considered to be a period of agressive monetary easing.

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  U.S. Monetary Policy, Monetary Aggregates and S&P 500 Stock Prices: An Empirical Analysis, 2009-2016

  Alison M Berry

  After the 2008 recession, the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank undertook massive quantitative easing in order to shore up the financial markets and facilitate economic growth. In this study I examine the relationship between money supply growth and the expansion of financial markets with a particular focus on S&P 500 stock returns. I test the hypothesis that stock prices covary directly with money supply growth i.e. R=A+B(MS) where R is the stock return, MS is the money supply, and A and B are the equation perimeters. I expect B to be greater than zero. Three measures of the money supply are used in the regression analysis: (1) the adjusted monetary base, (2) M1 money supply, and (3) M2 money supply. The time period 2009-2016 is considered to be a period of aggressive monetary easing.

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  U.S. Monetary Policy, Monetary Aggregates and S&P 500 Stock Prices: An Empirical Analysis, 2009-2016

  Alison M Berry

  After the 2008 recession, the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank undertook massive quantitative easing in order to shore up the financial markets and facilitate economic growth. In this study I examine the relationship between money supply growth and the expansion of financial markets with a particular focus on S&P 500 stock returns. I test the hypothesis that stock prices covary directly with money supply growth i.e. R=A+B(MS) where R is the stock return, MS is the money supply, and A and B are the equation perimeters. I expect B to be greater than zero. Three measures of the money supply are used in the regression analysis: (1) the adjusted monetary base, (2) M1 money supply, and (3) M2 money supply. The time period 2009-2016 is considered to be a period of aggressive monetary easing.

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  Water Chemistry, Biotic Factors and Their Effects on the Populations of Zooplankton and Phytoplankton in Silver Lake in New Carlisle, Ohio Compared to selected Ohio Lakes and Reservoirs.

  Jacob J Clancy

  The chemical makeup of a body of water can vary greatly depending on what kind of lake it is, the time of year and what kind of runoff enters the water. There are many abiotic factors that make up the water chemistry of a lake such as nutrient availability (Nitrogen and Phosphorous), pH, temperature, oxygen content and conductivity. Each of these factors plays important roles in the successes of many organisms that reside in the lake. The many species of zooplankton and phytoplankton thrive in different water chemistry conditions. Water chemistry and physical parameters (pH, conductivity, temperature, dissolved oxygen) will be measured with YSI Electronic Probe. Secchi disk and an electronic light meter will assess light penetration in the water column that is crucial to photosynthesis. Nutrients, nitrogen and phosphorous, will be sampled and sent to a lab for measurement. Phytoplankton and zooplankton species will be identified and quantified for productivity studies, ecological succession and community biodiversity. Water chemistry and its relationship to the zooplankton and phytoplankton populations of Silver Lake will be measured in the spring and fall of 2016 to assess seasonal changes in relation to chemical and environmental factors. Silver Lake has had no prior limnology studies conducted on it, so it is a novel system for this kind of study. This study can be used to compare it to other lakes, rivers and reservoirs in Ohio such as Lake Erie and Grand Lake St. Mary’s that have all had harmful algal bloom problems in the past.

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  Where to Catch a Lie

  Elliot D Buccieri, Michael Brannon Dosedel, Lauren E Murphy

  This study in-progress explores the relationship between social awareness, deception detection, and eye movement patterns exhibited during deception detection. Specifically, we are searching for patterns in visual attention to facial/body areas during the evaluation of honesty that correspond to correct detection of lies. During this experiment, participants will complete a questionnaire to gauge their social awareness (i.e., cognizance of the indications of others’ needs and motivations in social situations). Subsequently, they will be fit with an eye-movement tracking device and watch a video of a college-aged actor pretending to be a student. In this role, the actor will be responding to questions about his personal experiences and behaviors while in college. We will instruct the actor to lie on half of his responses. While watching the video, participants will decide whether they perceive the actor’s responses to be honest or dishonest. In the results, we expect to find a positive correlation between level of social awareness and detection of deception. That is, participants who are more socially aware will be more likely to detect accurately when the actor is lying. Further, we expect to find patterns of participants’ eye movements, eye fixations, and gaze paths that correspond with the ability to detect deception. That is, these patterns will indicate consistent attention to those areas of face (e.g., eyes and mouth) and body (e.g., body language and hand-to-face movements) that have been shown to produce reliable cues for detecting deception (e.g., Bond, 2008).

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  Whose Voice the Waters Heard: A Short Story Cycle

  Grace E Hagan

  In this collection of short stories, each short story is a unique exploration of the powerful and often enigmatic concept of loss. The common unity for the collection presents itself in two parts: place and theme. Characters of all ages, from all walks of life, go to the river to have their voices heard and to grieve a particular form of loss. The collection takes a dynamic and expansive view on loss, and each short story reflects a different idea or experience of loss. It seeks to examine not only what can be lost, but also what can and cannot be found. Some losses explored include: loss of life, control, memory, innocence and youth. While each story takes place around a different river and examines a different form of loss, the image of the river embodies the collection, as a river is both a thing in itself and a part of something much greater.

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  Why is nature able to mold some phenotypes more readily than others? Investigating the evolutionary constraint of β2 tubulin in Drosophila melanogaster

  Sarah R Golconda

  While some traits may be able to evolve freely, others may need to await a change in a second trait before they can change themselves. The testis specific beta-2 (β2) tubulin protein, a fundamental component of Drosophila spermtail axonemes, has not evolved in over 60 million years and may exemplify this phenomenon. This study aims to examine what type of evolutionary constraint this protein is experiencing. Previous studies have shown substitutions of the paralogous (related by gene duplication) beta-1 tubulin gene for β2 tubulin disrupts the structure rendering it unable to support reproduction. Here, the substitution of an ortholog, the β2 tubulin gene in a different species which performs the same function, will be examined to see if it can produce a functional sperm in Drosophila melanogaster. Comparing the D. melanogaster β2 tubulin 446 amino acid sequence to various species, the closest relative to D. melanogaster to show a differing sequence was the tsetse fly (Glossina morsitans) which differs in 17 amino acid sites. To determine if tsetse β2 tubulin could replace D. melanogaster β2 tubulin, the tsetse β2 tubulin gene was amplified by PCR, cloned into vectors, and injected in D. melanogaster embryos to be expressed in the spermtail. Its ability to function in place of D. melanogaster β2 will be tested by fertility tests, and viewed under transmission electron microscopy and light microscopy to observe structural similarities and defects from this substitution. If tsetse β2 produces a functional sperm, this could suggest nature is constantly selecting a particular sequence even though other sequences may work, an example of stabilizing selection. Or, if a defective sperm is produced, we can infer co-evolution. Additional changes in the axoneme occurred that allow it to function in G. morsitans but not D. melanogaster.